Headlines

Oilers say they'll name captain before season

Coach Todd McLellan mum on who it will be

The Edmonton Oilers will name a captain before this season begins, coach Todd McLellan said Wednesday.

"Will we have a captain? Yeah, we will," McLellan told the Oilers website.

Asked if it would be 19-year-old Connor McDavid, McLellan said, "We will have a captain."

On Sunday, McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft and a Calder Trophy finalist last season, said it is a role he would embrace.

"If I was ever the captain at any point, I think it would be one of the greatest honors and one of the accomplishments that I would definitely take the most seriously," McDavid told the Toronto Sun. "I don't want to comment too much, but obviously it would be an unbelievable feeling."

McDavid had 48 points (16 goals, 32 assists) in 45 games as a rookie last season, when the Oilers did not have a captain. They had four alternate captains: forwards Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle, and defenseman Andrew Ference, the former captain.

"I think you see a lot of teams going toward not having a captain," Eberle told Sportsnet 590 The Fan on Thursday. "I'm a strong believer in guys that lead by example. I've played with Connor and he's an exceptional player and I think he'll be the future of hockey. It doesn't matter if he has [the captaincy], or I have it, you just want a collective group of leaders. I think we do in Edmonton.

"Ultimately, one day, I think [Connor] will be our leader."

Edmonton is one of seven NHL teams without a captain. The Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets also do not have one.